SOME FAST PASSAGES.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 April 1919, Page 2

SOME FAST PASSAGES.

•'FRISCO TO AUCKLAND IN 31 DAYS. SAILING SHIP'S RECORD TRIPS. During the last few weeks; there have been some remarkably fast passages of sailing vessels from oversjfc - to New Zealand' ports, in some cases' the distance between the two ports having boon aeecmplishel in time that would put 'many; isitjeamjers to shame. The records that have been established are many, each captain striving for superiority. In the majority of cases the fast passages have been accomplished with the elements in the vessel *s favour, with the win'd and tides in just the required direction. As one old captain stated, there is nothing in going to sea in a steam vessel, there is practically no ,seamarfship (required, one only requires to cast off the rope, give the required signal, and the steamer churns, her way to her destination,, being piactically uugovemed by wind or s_a. While with the sailing vessel there ar e all the sails to look to, and the slightest variation in the wind requires some alteration in the rig. The record of the ship Dunsyre, 2149 tons, of a passage of 38 days from San Francisco to Wellington recently, which, while a remarkable passage, is not the fastest, although claim to such is made in the southern port. It probably is the fastest passage to tlTat particular port. In 1870 the barque Alice Cameron, of the Circular Saw Line, under the command of the late Captain John Nearing., made the passage from the Golden Gate to Auckland in 31 days. The round voyage to San Francisco and back occupied only 105 days. , While engaged in the Auekland-Syd- i y ney trade, the same vessel made a passage from Sydney in five days four hours, and the round voyage under twenty-one days from Sydney to Auckland, and back to Sydney. The famous barque Notero, cominansailcd from Fremantle to Newcastle in the record time cf nine days, which is stated to have never yet been beaten. The previous record put up by a sailing vessel over that course was made by a 600-ton barque, which did the trip in 13 days. On the trip of the Notero the vessel averaged 13 knots. A still more remarkable performance by that vessel was when she sailed from Lyttelton to Auckland, wharf to wharf, in three days five hours. On another voyage the Notero sailed from Auckland to Thursday Island in the fast time of 16 days, the vessel averaging 111, knots.

The barque Lake Erie, on one occasion sailed from Capetown to Calcutta in 36 days, and later on sailed from Calcutta to Lyttelton in 36 days. The full-rigged ship Westland, of the Patrick Henderson line, sailed from London to Wellington in 72 days, and from Wellington to Astoria in 44 days. In continuation of her voyage the vessel went from Astoria to London in 79 days, which are stated to be the throe fastest passages ever made from those ports. The Golden Gate is credited with the remarkable performance of making two trips from San Francisco to Auckland in 48 days. Voyages from 60 to 65 days are common, but in those cases it is not a *caso of merely sailing from land to land, but from wharf to wharf, which in the case of a sailing ship, is no small task. The Shaw. Savill and Albion sailing vessel Crusader is believed to hold the record from Hew Zealand to London. The vessel accomplished this voyage in 64 ‘days. The record is stated to have never been beaten. The Crusader was a 1000-ton craft, and carried about 28 hands all told.